As we reach the end of this academic year, I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for all your dedication and hard work. You have shown remarkable resilience, creativity, and professionalism. You have made a difference to the lives of the children in our care.

Your efforts have not gone unnoticed or unrewarded. We have achieved some outstanding results this year, thanks to your collective endeavours. The trust set ambitious targets for the Phonics Screening Check (PSC), 92%, and we achieved 92%, which is brilliant. We set a challenging target of 72% of Year 6 children meeting the expected standard in KS2 SATs and achieved 71%, which again, is superb and 10% above the average for England. Indeed, with a couple of remarks already in the system, we may yet achieve 72%. We are also optimistic about the 'A' level and GCSE results this August. We really do hope our Year 11 & 13 cohorts are awarded the grades they deserve.

We have also welcomed five new schools into our trust family at the start of June. The former NCLT schools have joined WeST, and we are already enjoying the benefit of working together. We are delighted to have them on board and look forward to learning from each other and sharing best practices. We are stronger together, and we have a bright future ahead.

It is time to say farewell to Sue Williams. Sue is retiring from the Headship of Stowford School after 17 years of wonderful service to Stowford and its community. She has been a compassionate leader, a dedicated educator, and caring mentor to many. We are grateful for her contributions and achievements, and we wish her all the best for the future. May she enjoy a well-deserved rest and a happy retirement.

Finally, I want to wish you all a very enjoyable and peaceful summer break. You have earned it and you deserve it. Take this time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with your loved ones. I hope you return to the new academic year full of zest and enthusiasm for the year ahead. We have exciting plans and opportunities to look forward to, and I am confident that we will continue to grow and thrive as a trust.

Thank you once again for everything you do.

Best wishes,

Rob Haring

CEO

WeST Attendance Network 

Attendance staff from around the Trust gathered this week for the final WeST Attendance Network of the year. We had the opportunity to hear from a set of parents about their ‘lived experience’ of supporting their child with extreme anxiety that had led to poor attendance. It was a powerful reminder of the challenges that families face and our need to adopt supportive rather than punitive approaches to tackle these issues.

There were also opportunities to: reflect on the recent report from ImpactED on Understanding Attendance, and discuss concrete actions that schools can implement to ensure we have a good start to next academic year; look at the new WeST Attendance Handbook; and share good practice, in this case how Callington teacher pupils in Alternative Provision and on Reduced Timetables.

 

 

Jump Back Up July 2024